Georgia defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos has resigned. Lakatos has been Georgia’s defensive backs coach since 2010, but he hopes to continue his coaching career next season somewhere else.

The AJC was able to speak with Lakatos, and he claimed the resignation was for personal reasons and maintained there’s no story here.

“Let’s leave it at that — personal reasons,” Lakatos, 49, said in a short telephone interview Thursday night.

Asked if he had a choice about leaving, Lakatos said, “oh, yeah, of course. Just leave it at personal reasons. There’s no story here.”

The Bulldogs’ secondary really struggled this season, as youth saturated the defensive backs, and Georgia finished 9th in the SEC in pass defense and often looked confused in secondary coverage. That happens with a young defense, but they struggled to get better throughout the season.

However, the year before, Lakatos coached some of the best defensive backs and had one of the best secondaries in the country, before three starters in Shawn Williams, Bacarri Rambo and Sanders Commings all went to the NFL.

The timing of the resignation is curious with National Signing Day less than a month away and already several days into January.

Whoever Mark Richt decides to hire to replace Lakatos will inherit a young but talented group that will all have a year’s experience under their belts.